Standing table for invalids



y 1952 M. H. CHARTERS 2,603,542

STANDING TABLE FOR INVALIDS File'd March 23, 1949 IN V EN TOR.

,1,, El 7/11/0 BY k .58 3 i M5945 (HHPTEES Patented July 15, 1952 UNITEDSTATES PATENTYOFF-ICE.

' STANDING. TABLE Fom vALms Malt H.- Charters, Paterson, NJ. ApplicationMarc 23, 1949, Serial No. 83,081 (Cl. 311-1 v 2 Claims.

1 This invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of and thetraining of crippled persons. More particularly, the invention relatesto a standing table, that is, a support providing means for holding thepatient in upright, standing, position; the support providing a surfaceadjacent the person so held for supporting articles to be used by him.

The standing table of the invention is designed primarily for use withchildren who are victims of cerebral palsy,"more commonly called spasticparalysis. A person afiiicted with this ailment has restricted control,in varying degrees, ofthe muscles of his body. Very frequently a childso afflicted cannot walk by himself and must be taught to do so bytraining him to correlate the muscles over which he has control. It isnecessary, while training such person to stand and walk,, to support himso that he cannot fall and injure himself, while still allowing him acertain degreeof freedom of movement.

The standing tableof the invention provides a recess or cut-out portionreceiving the torso or trunk of the patient. The table is provided witha trunk embracing means secured to the table, such means'giving thepatient afirm bracing support while he is in the apparatus. In thepreferred embodiment, the standingtable is so constructed as to give thepatient freedom of movement about a vertical axis. Further, the table ispreferably so constructed as to allow the adjustment of the distancefrom such trunk embracing means and consequently the patient tothe'inner edge of the cut-out portion in the table.

The table is further provided with a rest in the form of an elongatedmember spanning the rear edges of the arcuate'cut-out portion of thetable. When employed with the trunk embracing means such elongatedspanning member It is a furtherect; of inventionto provide tten n ab e.of t e W9 n a sd e trunk engaging means which provides freedom ofmovement of the patient about a vertical axis within the cut-out portionof the table top. As indicated, in the preferred embodiment, the meansfor supporting the trunk embracing means is adjustable to vary thedistance from the trunk engaging means or belt to the inner edge ofthecut-out portion.

It is yet another object of-the invention to provide a standing tablewhich is convertible and adaptable,so that it is usable when the needfor the trunk embracing-means has passed, to support the patient withfreedom of movement within the cut-out portion in the table top.

These and further objects of the invention will be more readily apparentupon consideration of the following description of a preferredembodiment of the standing tableof the invention.

' In the drawing appended hereto "which forms a part of suchspecification: I

Fig-1 is a'view in perspective ofthe preferred embodiment of thestanding table of the inven- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in bottom planof such standing table, the view being taken in the vicinity of thetrunkembracing means and the supporting member therefor; and

n Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section through the clamping andadjusting means for such trunk embracing means supporting member, thesection being taken along the line 3-'-3 in Fig. 2.

In the illustrative embodiment of the standing table of the inventionthe reference character -2 designates the table top. The table top issupported in horizontal position by means of four telescopic legs ofwhich the upper portions attached to flanges on the underside of thetable top are designated 4. The bottom ends of the thereof. Bridging theouter,.rear corners of recess I0 is the elongated back rest 12 which isheld in position by means of the'bolts l4, extending through thedependingle'g of L shapedbracketsf screwed to the bottomjof Ithejt'abletop; asshow-n iniFig. 2. Bolts 12 extend through vertical slots at theends ofmember" lzfm'ember [2 being 'held in place by the tightening upof the wing nuts 16 on the bolts I4. It is apparent that member 12 mayreadily be removed by loosening nuts l6 and lifting it vertically offthe bolts I4.

Within the recess Ill and positioned approximately on a level with thetable top is the trunk embracing means generally designated by thecharacter [8. The forward portion of means I8 is composed of a broadstrip of metal bent generally into U-shapefsuch strip'being shown at 20.To the bottom forward edge of -member20 at its central portion there isriveted the vertical ear of L-shaped bracket 28 which forms a part ofthe means by which element [8 is attached to the table top. ;.Member 20of the trunk engaging form of a broad strap of padded cloth or the ilike, such member continuing'p'a'st the rear edges of member to form abelt, part 24 thereof which engages the back of the patient beingadjustably engageable with a buckle 26 attached to the other end of thelining member.

Bracket 28, as explained,isof L-shape, the vertical leg thereof beingriveted to member 29 at the bottom edge of thelatterso as to hold themember I8, upwardly within the recess 10. The other,'horizontal, leg ofmember 2315 pivotally attached by pin 32 to .thefforward end of thelongitudinally extending supporting member 36, as shown in 2 The forward end of member runs within the U-shaped guiding clip 34 which isattached, asshown, to the underside of the table top. 7 The rear end ofmember 39 is bifurcated, as,shown, the two parallel arms at such rearend being designated 31:. Projecting downwardly from the underside ofthe tabletop is the vertical stud 38 which isafiixed to the table top inthe manner shown in Fig.3. The two jarms'3 6 of member 30 lie on eitherside of stud S8 and may travel longitudinallyrelative thereto' Mountedon stud 38 is'alocking shoe shown at 40-, the stud 38 extending througha central vertically disposed hole in thelocking shoe. The bottomsurfaces of legs35 are serrated, as shown in Fig. 2. The confronting,top surface of theloeking shoe is correspondingly serrated, sothatwhen-such shoe'is pressed into engagement with arms '36 it holds themsecurely against longitudi nal motion. Shoe .dilf is prevented fromrotary movement by meansof the upwardlyprojec'ting ear 40 which extendsbetween the two arms'35. T f

The locking shoe is advanced into locking engagement with arms 36' andis maintained in such relationship {by means of a nut on the bottom endof stud 36, suchlnut being in the former an, operating knob 44. I Itwill be apparent that member 3!! isconfined to straight line movement byreason of itsbei'ngfguided by the .clip' 34 and the stud 38. When it isdesired to adjust member 33 and, consequently, trunk engaging orembracing means 8 withrespectto the inner edge of recess it], itnecessary only to loosen knob M'to slide member 30 to thedesiredlongitudinal position, and again to tighten nut 44. The pivotal mountingat '32 between trunkembracing means I8 and the forward end of member ,30allows'a patien mounted" mem e .5 $51 stantial degree of freedom "oimovement about he c l ax sd fin' by'p n 32,-a ind catedihv the dashedlines ring 2. r

mr i 2 thelback "t 12 i' fs n n irro i t e ta -7H me taCes,suchibackrestis no necessary and its omission allows the qn; d

' into the recess at approximately themidpoini; of

rest l2, however, may be used to advantage in combination with means 18,particularly when means 30 is adjusted to bring the trunk embracing beltl8 close to the rear edge of the recess l0. When belt [8 is in suchadjusted position and the back rest I2 is in place, the latter memberfunctions advantageously as a support for the hands and forearms orelbows of the patient.

The table shown is further of advantage when the patient'has progressedin his muscular training to a point at which the trunk embracing meansI8 is no longer necessary. When such 'point in the training is reached,the back rest i2 is removed, the clamping means 40 is loosened byloosening nut, after which belt 18 and its supporting member 30 mayreadily be withdrawn from the table. The patient may then besupportedwithin the recess ID of the table, the back rest I2 beingapplied thereto. The patient then has freedom of movement within therecess I0 while still being supported by the table and the back rest.

The table of the invention, therefore, is distinguished by its readyadjustability and its ready adaptability', being useful for childrenfrom tender years until they reach adolescence .or beyond. Sucha'dju'stmen'tsare efiected by adjustmen't of the legs, byadjustment ofthe size of belt I8, member 2-8 being readily deformed to fit varioustrunk sizes, .and eventually by the ready removal of means 18 and'itssupport 30 after which, a s above indicated, the table may be employedsimply with I the backrest [2 to re strain" the patientand to maintainhim within the recess l0. a

Although for purposes of illustration I. have described and illustratedapreferred embodiment of the standing table jof 'my invention, it willbe apparent that the inventis .not' confined, in its ad r. a ect 1 1 h mod m nt s n e it is capablejof'considerable yariationras to details. Theinvention is, therefore, defined bythe scope or" the claim-sappendedhereto,

I claim as new the following;

1. A1 standing table for inlalids comprising a broad surfaced table top,means to support the table top in elevated horizontal position enerallyat the waist. height of a patient, said table top having a substantiallycircularly arcuate recess in one edge thereof, said recess beingsubstan-' tially larger than the trunk of the patient, a rigid elongatedsupporting .member, means. rigidly to secure said supportingmember tothetable top parallel to the table top and with the inner, end of suchsupporting member projecting radially such recess, a broadbeltmean'satsaid'recess to embrace the trunk of the patient'standing withhis torso in the recess, the forward VD ILQ su b l ansb ine substant l yr i and vertical pivot means; attaching the forward porbn o he'belt m anwh ch lcc frq t heede of the: ecess a approxim tel its late a ce te o te nner; r nesu po tin m mbe that the belt plan ab utthen vot iean A st dn liabl q in iat s tel ir i is broad surfaced table top, means tosupportthe table top in elevated horizontal position generally at th iwat e 'sht -ena ientisai table to vin a u stant a l rcu a a i e s in oneedge thereof, said recess being substan-' tially larger than the trunkof the- 1361 1311758, rigidelongated supporting member, means attachingvs fitwer jpresent :Bsq g 7;; aid 'suppq tiq gzne phl t the tablegtqpi aau i sh -m ve in a g iz r radially of the recess in the table top andmeans to clamp the supporting member in adjusted position on the tabletop, a broad belt means at said recess to embrace the trunk of thepatient standing with his torso in the recess, the forward portion ofsuch belt means being substantially rigid, and vertical pivot meansattaching the forward portion of the belt means which confronts the edgeof the recess at approximately its lateral center to the inner end ofthe supporting membar so that the belt means may be moved in ahorizontal plane about the pivot means.

MERLE H. CHARTERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 128,739 Mahan July 9, 1872503,105 Tingley Aug. 8, 1893 604,677 Humphrey May 24, 1898 623,143 DotyApr. 18, 1899 718,948 Green Jan. 20, 1903 923,556 Miller June 1, 1909971,062 Miller Sept. 27, 1910 1,436,859 Bush Nov. 28, 1922 1,991,633Serpieo Feb. 19, 1935 2,244,773 Hawk June 10, 1941

